
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 202 (Wednesday, October 19, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 72058-72059]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-25223]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Food and Drug Administration

[Docket No. FDA-2016-N-2406]


Emerging Issues and Cross-Cutting Scientific Advances; 
Establishment of a Public Docket

AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notice; establishment of docket; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is establishing a 
public docket to receive input on emerging issues and cross-cutting 
scientific advances that may impact FDA preparedness and inter-Agency 
activities. Interested parties are invited to submit comments regarding 
emerging technologies and cross-cutting scientific advances of 
importance to FDA. The focus is on areas that may impact FDA in 5 or 
more years.

DATES: Submit either electronic or written comments by October 21, 
2019.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments as follows:

Electronic Submissions

    Submit electronic comments in the following way:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments. Comments submitted 
electronically, including attachments, to http://www.regulations.gov 
will be posted to the docket unchanged. Because your comment will be 
made public, you are solely responsible for ensuring that your comment 
does not include any confidential information that you or a third party 
may not wish to be posted, such as medical information, your or anyone 
else's Social Security number, or confidential business information, 
such as a manufacturing process. Please note that if you include your 
name, contact information, or other information that identifies you in 
the body of your comments, that information will be posted on http://www.regulations.gov.
     If you want to submit a comment with confidential 
information that you do not wish to be made available to the public 
submit the comment as a written/paper submission and in the manner 
detailed (see ``Written/Paper Submissions'' and ``Instructions'').

Written/Paper Submissions

    Submit written/paper submissions as follows:
     Mail/Hand delivery/Courier (for written/paper 
submissions): Division of Dockets Management (HFA-305), Food and Drug 
Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852.
     For written/paper comments submitted to the Division of 
Dockets Management, FDA will post your comment, as well as any 
attachments, except for information submitted, marked and identified, 
as confidential, if submitted as detailed in ``Instructions.''
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the Docket No. 
FDA-2016-N-2406 for ``Emerging Issues and Cross-Cutting Scientific 
Advances.'' Received comments will be placed in the docket and, except 
for those submitted as ``Confidential Submissions,'' publicly viewable 
at http://www.regulations.gov or at the Division of Dockets Management 
between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
     Confidential Submissions--To submit a comment with 
confidential information that you do not wish to be made publicly 
available submit your comments only as a written/paper submission. You 
should submit two copies total. One copy will include the information 
you claim to be confidential with a heading or cover note that states 
``THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.'' The Agency will 
review this copy, including the claimed confidential information, in 
its consideration of comments. The second copy, which will have the 
claimed confidential information redacted/blacked out, will be 
available for public viewing and posted on http://www.regulations.gov. 
Submit both copies to the Division of Dockets Management. If you do not 
wish your name and contact information to be made publicly available, 
you can provide this information on the cover sheet and not in the body 
of your comments and you must identify this information as 
``confidential.'' Any information marked as ``confidential'' will not 
be disclosed except in accordance with 21 CFR 10.20 and other 
applicable disclosure law. For more information about FDA's posting of 
comments to public dockets, see 80 FR 56469, September 18, 2015, or 
access the information at: http://www.fda.gov/regulatoryinformation/dockets/default.htm.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
the electronic and written/paper comments received, go to http://www.regulations.gov and insert the docket number, found in brackets in 
the heading of this document, into the ``Search'' box and follow the 
prompts and/or go to the Division of Dockets Management, 5630 Fishers 
Lane, Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Donna Mendrick, National Center for 
Toxicological Research, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New 
Hampshire Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20993, 301-796-8892, 
Donna.Mendrick@fda.hhs.gov; or Michael Morgan, Office of Regulatory 
Science and Innovation, Food and Drug Administration, 10903 New 
Hampshire Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20993, 240-402-3832, 
Michael.Morgan@fda.hhs.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: FDA is responsible for protecting the public 
health by assuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and 
veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, our Nation's 
food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation. FDA is tasked 
with advancing the public health by helping to speed innovations that 
protect the public health. FDA also has responsibility for regulating 
the manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of tobacco products, to 
protect the public health, and to reduce tobacco use by minors. 
Finally, FDA plays a significant role in the Nation's counterterrorism 
capability. FDA fulfills this responsibility by ensuring the security 
of the food supply, and by fostering development of medical products 
used to respond to deliberate and naturally emerging public health 
threats.
    FDA's ability to achieve its mission relies on awareness of, and 
proactive preparedness for, emerging issues and scientific advances, 
which will impact the development of regulated products well in advance 
of formal FDA regulatory submissions (e.g., 5-10 years). To realize 
this goal requires long-range horizon scanning by a cadre of scientific 
leaders from FDA, other government Agencies, interested stakeholders, 
and the public. Emerging sciences, such as synthetic biology, are 
expected to impact FDA regulated products in the relatively near term. 
The goal of this initiative is to identify issues and advances that 
will impact the Agency in the longer term and thus may be in their 
infancy.
    FDA formed the Emerging Sciences Working Group to provide an FDA-
wide science-based forum to identify and

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communicate scientific regulatory approaches, in order to prepare for 
anticipated high impact emerging science and technology. Additionally, 
the Emerging Sciences Working Group informs and advises Agency and FDA 
Center leadership on critical and cross-cutting issues likely to impact 
regulatory policy development.
    The Emerging Sciences Working Group is seeking input from the 
public to identify emerging science and technology. Results from long 
range horizon scanning will assist FDA regarding emerging issues and 
cross-cutting scientific advances, which may impact FDA preparedness in 
the future.

    Dated: October 13, 2016.
Leslie Kux,
Associate Commissioner for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2016-25223 Filed 10-18-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4164-01-P


